Tapas are the wonderfully tempting little dishes of food that are traditionally served with sherry in southern Spain. Beautifully simple, tantalisingly delicious and easy to prepare, they are perfect for all kinds of occasions. The recipes and suggestions in this book demonstrate how simple ingredients can be quickly transformed into mini feasts designed to delight the senses. Among the recipes are salted almonds, bread with olive oil and garlic, salt cod, asparagus with 2 sauces, chicory and blue cheese, mushrooms with garlic and rosemary, aubergine puree, broad beans with ham, tortilla, pickled sardines, spiced mackerel, lamb ribs with paprika, beef in red wine, potted game, croquettes, empanadas and many, many more. In addition there is plenty of helpful advice including a selection of menus that show how to combine tapas to provide meals for every occasion - such as spring, summer, autumn and winter parties, children's tapas party, vegetarian tapas party and a no-cook tapas menu. The wealth of background information and the superb collection of recipes vividly evokes the spirit of a country where food is the essence of the community. Elisabeth Luard is an award-winning food writer and a winner of the much coveted Glenfiddich Trophy and is one of the most highly respected cookery writers in Britain today. She is one of the leading authorities on European food and cooking. Her fifteen years spent living in Spain provided the experience and inspiration for this book. Her acclaimed writings are often cited as an inspiration by many of today's leading chefs, as well as home cooks, and are essential to any serious cookery book collection. Elisabeth's seemingly effortless style of writing, self-drawn illustrations and understanding of the way in which ordinary people's cooking reflects their history, culture and everyday life, makes her one of the most individual and distinctive food writers of all time. She is the food columnist for "The Oldie" and a contributing editor to "Waitrose Food Illustrated" as well as many national newspapers such as "The Scotsman".